The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, India on the southern bank of the Yamuna River. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and took over 20 years to complete, finishing in 1653. It is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, and was built out of white marble by the Persian architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri under the patronage and supervision of Shah Jahan.

1. TAJ MAHAL
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Jitty Jose

2. • Name the seven wonders of the
world.
• Write a few words about Taj
Mahal.
• Where is Taj Mahal located?

3. The Taj Mahal is a white marble
mausoleum located on the southern bank
of the Yamuna River in the Indian city
of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by
the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
(reigned 1628–1658) to house the tomb
of his favourite wife of three, Mumtaz
Mahal. The Taj Mahal is regarded by
many as the best example of Mughal
architecture and is widely recognized as
"the jewel of Muslim art in India".

4. • Location Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Height 73 m (240 ft)
• Built 1632–1653
• Architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
• Architectural style(s) Mughal
architecture

5. Inspiration
In 1631, Shah Jahan, was grief-stricken
when his favorite of three wives and
beloved companion, Mumtaz Mahal, a
Persian princess, died during the birth
of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum
Construction of the Taj Mahal began in
1632. The court chronicles of Shah
Jahan's grief illustrate the love story
traditionally held as an inspiration for
Taj Mahal .The principal mausoleum was
completed in 1643 .

6. Now let us explore the emblematic
monument...
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7. • The construction of the Taj Mahal began
in 1632 and was completed in 1653.
• . The Taj Mahal was Shah Jahan’s
imagination of Mumtaz’s home in paradise.
• The cost of construction of the Taj Mahal
was around Rs.320 million.
• At different times of the day the Taj
Mahal appears to be in a different colour.
Some believe that these changing colours
depict the changing moods of a woman.

8. • The Taj Mahal has a mosque in its premises,
which is why the Taj Mahal is closed on
Fridays and only those going for customary
prayers are permitted inside the Taj Mahal.
• Shah Jahan approached the Taj Mahal on a
boat which would sail down the River Yamuna
which ran behind the Taj Mahal.
• India’s’ Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath
Tagore, referred to the Taj Mahal as a
“tear drop on the cheek of time”.

9. • There was a popular myth that Shah Jahan
was planning to construct a black Taj
Mahal across the Yamuna, this is not true.
• Another popular myth around the Taj
Mahal is that after the construction of
the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan cut off the
hands of all the workers so that such a
structure could not be built again.
Fortunately, this is not true.

10. THINK ABOUT IT...
• When was Taj Mahal built?
• What is Taj Mahal made of?
• Why did the emperor built the Taj
Mahal?
• How did emperor feel after the
death of his wife?
• Who is the architect of Taj Mahal?